Elevator



July 14, 1931. N. PEEBLES 1,814,407

ELEVATOR FiledOct. 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NILES P155194 55 INVENTOR.

. ATTORNEY.

. ads ited members which oi such construction "1 Patented July 14:, 1931 siio" so i mo -s perish NILES PEEIBLES. O33 DALLAS, TFXAS, BATON 1;.- SSIGNJR G1 ONE-EAT}? T8 3. BEER-RENEE, OF ROUGE, LOTTESIANA ELEVATOR Application filed October 2, 1929. Serial No. 396,8?38.

The invention relates to an elevator such as is used in well drilling rigs to raise the pipe or tubing durine; the operations.

It is usual in well drilling rigs to have a cable threaded from the draw works over the crown block and down to the traveling block. By means of this cable the traveling block may be raised or lowered as desired. Various tools have been designed to be carried by the traveling block. The

present invention relates to one of these tools and is known as an elevator which comprises a construction or mechanism to connect around a piece of pipe that it may be raised or lowered by the movement of the traveling block.

it is one of the objects oi? the present invention to devise an elevator having a latch thereon wh ch will normally remain in the open position.

Another object of the invention is to devise an elevator whor in the may be locked in the closed position due to the fact that a pipe has been engaged by the aws.

Still another object of the invention is to devise an elevator having rounded corners on the upper and lower sides to prevent its catching on any obstruction while it is be- I nip raised or lowered.

Still another object 01 the invention is to devise a pair of ears or lugs of novel construction to retain the bails by which the elevator is supported.

it is also an object oi the invention to a novel link construction which will become misplaced with respect he or jaws.

another object of the invention is to devise a handle upon each of the jaw J. in

it may be conveniently grasped by the operator.

Sti l another object of the invention 0 L0 elinilia' the use of bolts and nuts which project from the face or" the elevator.

1 also contemplate as an object hich the provision of a latch momb i will be actuated by the closing mo lllQllt of the jaw members wl en a pipe is being engaged.

Other and further objects of my in tion will be readily apparent to 1 my invention. unnered n .the art to which tains when the followi sc iption 1S the occoinpan sidere'd in connection u 1th in d rawin wherein v l i big. 1 1s a top plan view or an elevator constructed in accordance with my invenshowii g ccrtain pa: is iii section 60 iii purposes or illustrating the latching mechanlsm. D

Fig. 2 is side elevation showing the elevator with the supporting links remove-d therefrom.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view oi. tor with thejaws in open showing the construction oi andthe supporting l Wis thereto". Fig. 4 is a front elevation of t .1 H in closed position and showino one of e l aiulles broken away so that the construction of the latching mechanism may be observed. I

Fig. 5 spring pressed bolt. vhich the latch. I

' By having reference to Fig. 3 I have shown a member indicated generally at 1. lh s member may be the lower portion of a C-link or of thetraveling hook which carried by the traveling block. Upon t'u. link or hook l, I have shown a pair oi. liiis or balls at hhese bails are somewhat different from the ordinary construction and have a small opening 3 formed at the upper end thereof to receive the C-link or traveling hook I. These bails below the opening 3 are formed or" an integral piece of metal which may assume any desired form, but is of suilicient cross section to withstand the stresses which may be encountered. The lower end of the links are enlarged at and provided with an opening 5, which may be of considerably larger 95 area than the opening 8. While I have shown a particular type of link in this embodiment of my invention, 1 do not desire to be limited to this precise construction as obviously the ordinary type of bail may be 199 used in combination with my improved elevator.

The elevator has been indicated generally at 7 and comprises a pair of co-operating jaws 8 and 9. These jaws are formed to pivot upon a pin 11, as a hinge, so that they may be moved to the position of either F1g. 1 or Fig. These jaws 8 and 9 are identical with the exception of the construction forming the hinge portion at 12 and the latching mechanism indicated generally at l i.

The construction of the jaw member may be best seen by the illustration of the top view shown in Fig. 1 and the side view shown at Fig. l Each of the jaws has a substantially semi-circular body portion 15, having a handle 16 on the forward side thereof. This handle 16 is preferably formed integral with the body portion and extends forwardly and slightly outwardly as seen in Fig. 1. This handle is rounded at the top and bottom as seen in Fig. 2 at 17 and 18. With this construction as the elevator is being raised or lowered in the derrick any obstructions will slide over the rounded portion of the handle and damage to the elevator or derrick is avoided. Particular attention is directed to the large size of the handle which makes it convenient for the operator to grasp. With elevators now in use the handle comprises a single bar extending iorizontally with a knob on the end thereof. It is practically impossible for the derrick man to manipulate each elevator unless it is at a position directly in front of him and about chest high. The handles now in use constitute a hazard also in that it will catch beneath the bracing, finger board or other structures while being raised or lowered. Also it may catch in the safety belt or garment of the derrick man and cause injury. With the improved enlarged rounded handles here shown it is possible for the operator to grasp the handles in any position within his reach and they are of such size that he may obtain a firm hold on either the top, bottom or front. Another advantage of these enlarged handles is that it forms a protective guard for the latching mechanism.

Fig. 4 shows the arrangement of the upper lug or ear 20 and the lower ear 21.

These are preferably formed integral with the body portion 15 of the jaw and extend outwardly and downwardly. They are rounded as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, so that they will avoid obstructions in the derrick. It should be noted that the upper car 20 provides an upwardly inclined shoulder 23. This shoulder 23 forms a curve with the upper face 2st of the lower ear 21 so that the lower portion l of the bail will remain loose and free from the elevator body at all times.

The outer surface of the elevator body 15 is shown as circular at 25 but is slightly out away at 26 between the ears 20 and 21 in order to accommodate the bail 2. In this manner the point of contact of the bail and the elevator body is as close to the center line as is possible and an almost direct pull is therefore exerted which will tend to retain the elevator jaws in a closed position.

I have shown a bolt 30 as having been inserted into an opening 31 in the ear 20 and being seated in a socket 32 in the ear 21. In this manner as soon as the bail 2 has been inserted between the ears the bolt 30 may be dropped in place. I have shown a lockpin 33 as a means of preventing misplacement of bolt 30. It is obvious that any other desired means such as threading the bolt 30 through the car 20 may be employed. It should be noted however that the pin 30 does not extend through the lower side of ear 21 and that no portion of the pin extends outwardly from the ears. In a great many constructions now in general use a bolt and nut are used in lieu of the bolt 30 here shown and considerable objection has been found to this struction as the nut becomes misplaced and the bolt head catches upon obstructions in the derrick. I have shown a lug 35 formed upon the forward face of one of the jaws and an aperture 30 formed in the co-operating jaw. This lug .35 serves as a dowel to insure an alignment of the two jaws when they are in a closed position.

When the elevator is to be fastened about a piece of pipe or tubing to be moved the operator grasps the handles 16, which will normally be in position shown in Figure He then presses the jaws about the pipe or tube and moves them to the closed position shown in Fig. 1.. It is very important that once the elevator is latched about the pipe that it remain positively locked, as many accidents have occurred due to the fact that the elevator became unlatched and allowed a string of pipe or tubing to fall into the well. In order to insure that the latch will remain in a closed position while the pipe is engaged in the elevator, I have provided a latching mechanism which includes a latch 40, shown in front elevation in Fig. t and in section in Fig. 1. This latch coniprises a substantially rectangular body, having a central opening -l1 therein. A pivot pin a2 is shown as passing through the handle 16 in a position spaced from the body 15 of the jaw a sufiicient distance to permit the latch to pivot through a small angle. It will be noted that the latch is thickened to receive the bolt. The bolt l2 may be retained in the handle by any desired means but I have shown a locking pin which is similar to pin 33 previously described. 'A spring to is shown as being coiled about bolt 42 and having one end engaging the body of the jaw and the opposite end engaging the latch 4L0. Tins spring is so arranged that it will normally .l to keep the latch in open position or .jueposilion illustrated in 1. A lug to '5 carried by the jaw 9 and is shown as projecting from the front side thereof in a manner to be received in the opening 41 of the latch. Thus it pressure is exerted upon the latch ll) it may pass down over the lug ll; and thereby maintain the two jaw 'unbors in a closed position.

lin order that the latch 40 may act automaticaily and be positively retained in a closed position, I have shown a spring pre.--:sed bolt 50. This bolt is showir as comprising a sleeve 51, a head 52, a spring 535 and cap St. The sleeve :71 is placed in a radially extended opening 55, which is ti'ormed in. one of the jaw members 15. The bolt is best seen in Fig. lVhen it is once placed in opening the head 52 will extend inwardly beyond the inner face 56 of the elevator jaws and the head 5&- will extend bcylnid the outer face of the jaw but will underlie the end. 58 of the latch member l0. The normal position of the latch and spring pressed bolt will be that shown in 1. However, when a pipe engaged and the jaws 8 and Sciosed about the pipe the outer surface of the pipe will obviously engage against the head 52 of the bolt 50. The spring may be quite strong and will normally prevent the inward movement of the head :32. In this manner it will be seen that when pressure is exerted upon the head that the sleeve ill and cup will move outwardly with respect to the jaw body 15. This outward movement will cause the cap to engage the portion 58 oi. the latch member and overcome the resistance of the spring so as to cause the latch. to pivot about the pin 4-2 in this manner the end 59 will pass downwardly over the lug 'ldherei'ore, so long as a pipe is engaged by the elevator aws the latch i0 will remain in closed position and prevent the from moving to the open position. The latch will work automatically as soon as the jaws are clan'lped about a section of pipe. l Yhen it is desired to remove the latch it is only ncces try for the operator to move his ha d inwardly from the handle and catch end 5?) oi? the latch with his linger. By exerting a pull of the latch the tension of the spring 55 will be overcome and the latch mny be raised to a position to release the It is obvious that the may n be moved to an open position and the ...ter released at the will or the operator. l have shown the cap as being re .e" wi hin the sleeve 5-1 by means of lit is obvious that this cap may be into position, or welded, in lieu or" thepin'GO, if desired. The cap 5% is shown as being of a larger diameter than the sleeve 51 and in this manner the bolt is prevented from moving inwardly with respect to the jaw member. The latch 40 obviously prevents removal or displacement of the bolt 50.

The particular advantages of the present elevator include the enlarged prot ctive handles, the elimination of the proje: nuts and bolts and the rounded arrang meat of theentire elevator as well the normally open latch which is held in extended position by the spring l,"hus no amount of jarrin or closing of tie jaws will cause the latch to loci: so t even if the swing together they wil not latch unless they are clamped about a. pipe and the bolt 52 compressed.

While I have shown and described what I believe to be practical construction of my. invention, 1 do not desire to be limited to the precise structure illustrated, as it is obvious that various alterations 11' Ly be made therein without departin from the spirit of the invention set forth in the 'a 't'penoed claims.

Having described my invention-what I desire to secure by Lott-r: Patent is 1. In combination with an elevator, a latching mechanism therefor including a pivotal latch member, a lug adapted to be engaged by said latch in closed position. at means to normally retain said member in u latched position, said means including a spring surrounding a bolt upon which said member pivoted and engaging both the body of the elevator and said latch member.

2. A latching mechanism for pipe elevators including a pivoted latch mem er, means to retain said member in unlatched position, and additional means for closing said latch when the elevator is engaged about a pipe, said additional means including a spring pressed bolt slidable radially in the body of the elevator.

3. In combination with a pipe elevator having a pair of semi circular jaw members, a latching mechanism, means carried by one of said. jaw members to normally retain said mechanism in unlatched position, and additional means to move said mechanism to latched position when said members are engaged about a pipe.

4-. A pipe elevator including in combination a pair of cooperating jaw members hinged together at one side, and autonnitic latching mechanism carried by one of said members andoperable upon said members being closed about a pipe, said mechanism including a spring pressed bolt projecting irom'the inner and oute'i faces of one of said members, a latch pivoted to said membeer and adapted to be engaged by said bolt when said bolt is moved by engagement with 7 the pipe upon closing of said jaw members.

5. A pipe elevator comprising a pair of hinged jaws, one of said jaws having a latch lug, a latch pivoted on the outer jaw and adapted to engage the lug, a spring urging the latch out of latching position, and a spring pressed member slidable in the latch jaw and engaging the latch.

6. A latching mechanism for elevators including a single latch member pivoted intermediate its ends, a spring rocking the latch into an unlatching position, and means having one end exposed to the pipe and the other end underlying the latch for overcoming the spring and swinging the latch into locking position when engaged with a pipe.

7 In combination with an elevator, a latching mechanism therefor including a pivotal latch member, a lug adapted to be engaged by said latch member in closed position means normally holding said latch member outwardly of the lug when the jaws of the elevator are closed, and means carried by the elevator in the path of the pipe for swinging the latch into latching engagement with the lug.

8. In combination with an elevator, a lug on one jaw of the elevator, a pivotal latch on the other jaw of the elevator, means for automatically displacing the latch when the jaws are open to reduce its protrusion into the path of the pipe, and additional means engaged by the pipe when the jaws are closed for swinging the latch into latching engagement with the lug.

9. A pipe elevator comprising, a pair of hinged jaws, one of said jaws having a latch lug, a latch pivoted on the other jaw and adapted to engage the lug, a spring urging the latch out of latching engagement with the lug, and a radial sliding bolt mounted in one of the aws in the path of the pipe for e engaging and swinging the latch into latching position when displaced.

10. An elevator as set forth in claim 9, in which the sliding bolt is yieldable while in engagement with the pipe, whereby the latch may be manually disengaged from the lug.

11. In combination with an elevator comprising a pair of hinged jaws, a latch lug on one of the jaws, a latch lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the other jaw and having one end arranged for engagement with the lug; a radially slidable bolt in the jaw carryin the latch engaging the opposite end of t e latch; and a spring engaged with the latch normally holding its latching end out of engagement with the lug and its opposite end in engagement with the bolt.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 25th day of September, A. D.,

' NILES PEEBLES. 

